Jim Coleman on Nifong: "Indifferent to justice."
Those students shown in the clip are very lucky to have someone like Coleman as a professor.
It's not clear what Brian Meehan was hoping to accomplish through this broadcast. (He certainly did nothing for his professional reputation as Lesley Stahl grilled him.) I was glad, however, that he gave a national TV audience the opportunity to see him in person. This is not a man who inspires confidence.
After Meehan recapitulated how he told Nifong about the exculpatory DNA evidence--"around the conference table"--perhaps it's time for Nifong to hire a criminal attorney.
As in the first 60 Minutes episode, a revealing teaser about the accuser. In the first episode, it was the pole dance that blew to bits her claim of injury. In this episode, the revelation that the accuser's psychological difficulties are far, far more severe than what had been publicly revealed to date.
Finally, getting to hear from the parents, in detail and for the first time, provides a useful reminder of the human toll that Nifong's extraordinary misconduct has exacted.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
98 comments:
Good times.
RM PAM
Hmmmm.
Considering that Meehan repudiated parts of his in-court testimony I don't think this interview did him any good. At best he comes off as a jackhole, at worst a minion of Nifong.
The human toll has been worse than they revealed on camera, KC. David Evans came home every weekend that last semester because he was afraid he was going to get killed.
Thinking about it makes me angry even as I type.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
60 Minutes segment went well. Meehan admitted the big mistake, Nifong got hammered, the accuser's psychological problems were pointed out, and the parent came off well.
If you are a Duke student, alumni, faculty or staff, please sign the following petition to show your support to Reade, Collin, and Dave.
Concerned Duke Alumni
Duke Parent
Ed: But .... they said they also talked on the telephone. 60 Minutes said that. Where did they get that from?
Hello RICO.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
The false accuser needs to be held accountable in some manner whether she has mental health problems or not. To release her from any responsibility sends a terrible message.
The Duke lacrosse parents were great.... Be strong.
Duke Law Professor James Coleman is one of the towering heros of this incident.
Duke President Richard Brodhead once again came across as very weak. All he could do was blame the Durham DA for having misled him and others with statements of certainty regarding a crime.
Now that we know that even the North Carolina Bar Association is willing to cite Nifong for some of his contemptible statements made during March and April, which had the effect of inflaming the Durham community, and the nation, against the Duke lacrosse players, is there not one of Nifong's comments that Brodhead would now rebuke?
Kevin Finnerty's comment struck to the dilemma for Duke... "why would someone send their child to Duke, knowing that Nifong was still the Durham DA, that Nifong controlled the Durham Police Department, and that if something went wrong, Duke University would demand due process and civil protection for its students".
Brodhead is a disgrace, and must resign now.
When it comes down to really facing jail time and personal ruination, just you wait, Meehan is going to turn on Nifong faster than CMG can change her story. Meehan hasn't told all, there is more to that one.
And that won't be the only person. Brokenhead is already starting with "Nifong said he had a rape case, blah, blah, blah" Thanks for supporting your students, you big pea brain.
Wait until Wilson, DPD, all of the big hoaxers start the turn, Nifong is going to have to take 40 machete's out of his back.
The best part will be getting the prison updates from the Gen Pop blog. Protected custody? Forget it, he'll see what real rape charges are all about.
The only part I wished 60 minutes had covered a little more was the lunacy of the G88. But, there are only 60 minutes.
due to the football game going late, time warner's woeful dvr technology, and the start of "24", only the first 4 minutes were recorded on my dvr.
can someone please provide the link to You Tube or cbs.com when it becomes available?
thank you
Correction to 10:20 PM post...
Duke University would NOT demand due process and civil protections for its students.
At the end of the segment, I spontaneously gave a long and loud applause.
The Moms were fantastic. Please let this part end soon for them and on to the civil suits.
Coleman again was perfect.
The families' reference to Google searches was telling. An effective way to combat the "something happened in that house" crowd would be for the accuser herself to admit she lied.
In my opinion, they did a great job of baiting her into doing just that. By positioning her as a hapless victim of yet another big, bad man, I wouldn't be surprised if CGM's story soon changes again, this time to:
"I didn't want to lie, but I had no choice. Mike Nifong made me do it."
I agree with the comments about Brodhead, he came across horribly. The Duke trustees will end up asking to "spend some more time with his family" once this case is dropped and the civil lawsuits begin.
The part on CGM's mental history underscores even more that this case should never have gone forward.
Meehan did not come across well, I can not for the life of me figure what he thought he had to gain by appearing. I'm sure he did so against the advice of whatever \lawyer he must have retained.
So who else was around the confrence table the two DPD investigators who went with Nifong to meet Meehan?
These DPD guys need to find a good lawyer. Meehan is talking and add to that the phoney lineup and the notes from memory. We're talking serious jail time.
Hey went to Astra Zeneca's website and looked at info on the drug Seroquel. Here is something of relevance:
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking SEROQUEL because it increases the effects of alcohol. Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated while taking SEROQUEL.
Coleman was devastating.
But would his impact on those Americans not closely following the Duke Hoax Case been anywhere near as powerful if he just happened to be a European-American?
I cannot understand why justice takes so long.
3 innocent people are still facing trial, Brodhead is still Duke president, Nifong is still DA, Gang 88 professors are still employed by Duke and getting their $150,000 annual check for nothing and DPD is still out there harassing people.
In an ideal world, Nifong & Crystal & Meehan & Gottlieb would be behind bars, Brodhead had been fired and Gang 88 had been fired and prosecuted, pseudo-science Duke departments (and their funding) had been downgraded.
to 10:29
He is using his white male privileges, therefore is a racist.
poorly produced "60" segment
Ask yourself this question: why didn't 60 wait to get interviews AFTER boys are exonerated; or
Has 60 ever done a piece on black-on-white crime, or the evils of affirmative action (cf G88)?
Just wondering
RP
yall really think nifong is going to jail?
James Coleman should be named President of Duke.
10:28
Don't know if she was taking them at that time. But she did say she was taking flexeril (muscle relaxing drug) at the time of the alledged crime.
That drug has warnings against mixing with alcohol. Can lead to you passing out.
Please, someone post the 60 minutes spot on youtube.
How does Meehan sell expert witness testimony from his lab to anyone for a very long time? Seriously, a Defense attorney looking to impeach the evidence against his guilty as hell client, brings this very high profile case up, makes him say he did not follow procedure and the law. Who would want him involved. Isn't he toast?
Interesting points re: parents suing Nifong.
Which brings up an interesting question.
Why are personal injury lawyers so eager to sue doctors, car manufacturer's, McDonalds, etc, yet not eager to sue out of control DAs?
My guess?
The lawyers (who, after all, write the laws) have written them in a fashion to make it almost impossible to sue a lawyer.
But isn't this a conflict of interest?
Parents came off great. Meehan came off like Edward G. Robinson with something to hide.
Nifong deserves prison. So does Crystal Gail Mangum. Both are reprehensible human beings, who tried to ruin three innocent boys' lives for personal gain.
All 'cause some government lackey was worried about his pension. All 'cause some strumpet (how many different sets of DNA did they find in her rectum?) didn't want to spend time in the booby hatch.
Utter scum.
10:35 - Remember the Evans parents? Do some quick research.
Jail is a real possibility for the simple reason that Nifong's fate is not held solely by local authorities. This is one of those times when people who are connected in DC can seriously make your life miserable.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
For me the best part was when one of the mothers (I can't remember which one) said about the accuser, "This is a woman who has been taken advantage of by men for her entire life. And no one has taken more advantage of her than Mike Nifong." Finally: Something that everyone, from ardent LAX supporters to Cash Michaels, can agree upon. Amen.
A few thoughts:
Brodhead has a mustache. Where was he on the evening of March 13, 2006?
Precious
How many "leaders" in the black community are upset at Coleman right about now? He knowingly and willfully let facts get in the way of the party line.
The focus on Nifong vice Crystal is reprehensible. She has got to be held to account and it is apparent the MSM is able but unwilling. This is the second gang rape charge she has filed that may never see the light of a courtroom. While the damage she has done to these four families (Pressler) is self-evident, I think we will never truly know how much her second (!) false rape charge has done to steepen the hill to reporting actual occurences of the crime.
Nice job by 60 Minutes to, ahem, whitewash the blame all to Nifong. Classic MSM and its kid-gloves approach to responsibility in the black community (see Nagin, Ray, 2005). I suppose I should give them credit for calling the Institution (if not the faculty by name/number) out for prejudging these three kids, but surprise of all surprises, scant mention of the rush to judgment by the faculty of departments of identity politics masquerading as "academic" disciplines.
10:14 Considering that Meehan repudiated parts of his in-court testimony I don't think this interview did him any good. At best he comes off as a jackhole, at worst a minion of Nifong.
Perhaps, though he could argue that he was attempting to mitigate the damage caused by his earlier actions. Admitting his guilt at this point may make the case against him easier, but he'd lose anyway. Coming out against Nifong is apt to win a fair bit of jury sympathy in a civil trial.
Meehan career is dead.
(Meehan on the stand.)
Have you ever helped a DA hide evidence?
He will soon lose his accreditation. The investigation has already started.
"This is a woman who has been taken advantage of by men for her entire life."
What was Mrs. Evans' basis for making this statement about Ms. Mangum?
JLS says....
Yeah, I could not believe he tried to bail Nifong out by contradicting part of his sworn testimony from 15 Dec. What a fool.
You know, I've been calling Brodhead a bitch from the beginning, but having seen him on 60 I am convinced that I was mistaken.
He's a run-of-the-mill doofus.
Get rid of him--NOW.
RP
Write or call the Justice Department in Washington. Ask for an explanation, politely, of why the department has not entered the rape frame-up case.
10:54
"What was Mrs. Evans' basis for making this statement about Ms. Mangum?"
Probably a preemptive "good faith" pander (suggested by their atty) before they bring out the Dogs of War in upcoming civil trials.
DNA Security's (Meehan's) official line is haughty in its insistence it followed proper procedures.
Nowhere in that missive do DNA Security or Meehan claim they did anything improper.
I'm sure the Justice Dept. Will wait until the case is reviewed by the two new DAs and dismissed.
Once the case is dismissed, NC or the Justice Dept. will launch an investigation.
They all just watched Meehan say on TV that he told Nifong "the lead investigator" about the 5 men DNA before he indicted the 3 players.
Nifong never asked the women why she lied about her sexual history. How could the Lax players DNA be gone but the other guys DNA left behinf?
He covered up the DNA evidence, not just ignored it, but covered it up!
All this before the players were indicted. Nifong did this in the role of lead investigator.
I think we all need to pause and reflect on the issue of rape-shield laws.
It is not a perfect world. We can't save every victim, putative or real, from embarrassment.
This case has PROVED only one thing so far, THAT WE SHOULD GET RID OF ALL RULES REQUIRING THE NAME OF ACCUSERS BE PROTECTED.
If an accused's name is a matter of public record, and can be published in newspapers and other media, the same newspapers and other media have a duty to publish the name of the accuser as well.
If every prior indiscretion in the life of the accused (such as a barfight in another jurisdiction) is appropriate to print, then every prior indescretion in the life of the accuser is also appropriate to print.
If it is a he-said/she-said case, it cannot fairly be judged without knowing all possible information about BOTH the acused and the accuser......
10:35 suggests Professor Coleman as next President of Duke. I wholeheartedly concur with this. Do we have to wait until Mr. Brodhead slogs through a bunch of civil suits, dirtying the beautiful Duke name some more before we get Mr. Coleman as President? What a guy, a deep intellect, and a man of honor and integrity.
The parents were very impressive. Mrs. Evans was outstanding. She teared up when talking about the accuser, which was not scripted. That speaks volumes to me about her heart, her integrity and her humanity.
Let's get this thing over with for the kids, the families, Duke and Durham. The whole State of North Carolina should be embarrassed. President Coleman as soon as possible, please. Mr. Brodhead is sadly just not in charge of this situation, and never has been.
Read Bob Banks' post on the Liestoppers discussion board. It's called "A Cold-Blooded Frame, Part II."
Back in April, Nifong knew that the accuser, claimed to have had sex with one person the week prior, and claimed that rapists ejaculated in all of her orifices, yet when the DNA tests came back with no player matches and 5 unknown male DNA matches, he didn't question the accuser, or free the players or put out a bulletin looking for the 5 real rapists. Cognitive issues there.
The video is up on cbs.com
http://tinyurl.com/2yge7
The most surprising part of the 60 Minutes piece to me was Lesley Stahl actually seems to think the three have been falsely accused and let it show. And she seemed sympathetic to the players and the families.
It's almost as if she wasn't hiding behind a pretense of objectivity in spite of overwhelming facts. That's a refreshing approach for CBS.
I've wondered a bit about why they let her off so easily for the other crimes that she was convicted of.
Atypicals can cost several hundred per month and psychologists and psychiatrists aren't cheap either.
It may be that the state didn't want her in jail due to the costs of incarcerating her which would be moderately higher than someone without her problems.
Caption contest open to all.
"Ohmigosh, you're that lady from 60 Minutes. I thought that was just going to be the length of this interview."
Meehan looks a lot like I imagine Robert Blake did when the gun went off, killing his wife.
If you go to the 60 Minutes web video of the episode, they DO NOT block out CGM's face when she is looking at the pictures.
"It's almost as if she wasn't hiding behind a pretense of objectivity in spite of overwhelming facts. That's a refreshing approach for CBS."
It was impossible to fail to conclude that Ms. Stahl personally believes that three young men have been falsely accused of felonies.
But did she have to keep referring to them as "boys"?
10:18 Esquire:
"But .... they said they also talked on the telephone. 60 Minutes said that. Where did they get that from?"
Meehan stated in Court on Dec 15 that he & Nifong had several phone discussions about the results. "With him and members of his staff". Also stated that he didn't keep records of the calls.
Questioning by Kingsberry, page 88.
Meehan contradicting prior testimony?
Had to miss the show - how did he contradict himself?
Watching the video again at CBSNews right now. One thing that I just noticed near the beginning is that Stahl said that they volunteered their DNA.
This show is a nice counter to the
other crap that we're used to from
Cash, Wendy and Nancy.
Nice Lab Meehan - you might as well have stayed in the 'garage'
GP: O ho. I had not seen that.
Ouch. RICO violation. No wonder this guy is singing like a little birdie now throwing the blame around.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
I'm more interested "who was at the conference table". If it was the two DPD investigators they are in big trouble.
11:57 Anon
Gottlied and Hinman accompanied Nifong to DNASI a couple of times.
JLS says....
GPrestonian, Meehan said in court that he left out the exculpatory material because that is what the client, Nifong, wanted. On 60 Min. he claimed he told Nifong about it but left it out on his own.
He directly said that Nifong knew when he told the judge in court he knew of nothing else the defense was due in discovery. But he tried to get Nifong off the hook a bit??
Gottlied and Hinman accompanied Nifong to DNASI a couple of times.
I know but were they in the room when Meehan told the DNA results. Did they hold it back from the Grand Jury? Did they participate in the conspiracy? Meehan is holding it back, maybe to make a deal?
11:57 - Yes. This all will come out in the end. I had thought they just discussed it in his conference room, the thought he would be stupid enough to use a telephone did not cross my mind. I thought this might come out in discovery somehow, not that it was just out there staring at us the whole time.
But then again, maybe I should stop assuming Nifong ever thinks about the consequences of his actions.
Seriously, part of me knows the guy is slime, and he has done things that make me extremely angry as an attorney. The other part of me wants to smack him around and ask what he was possibly thinking and to stop. I have never seen an attorney self destruct like this guy has, hanging himself with acts of brazen stupidity. It's disgusting and morbidly fascinating at the same time.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
Also is it in there case notes. They wrote up reports. They did coverup the DNA report?
re: 11:51
[But did she have to keep referring to them as "boys"?]
Well, that really allows other parents to empathize with the Duke 3 parents.
12:02 JLS:
Thanks, JLS.
My recollection was that Meehan never said outright on Dec 15 that Nifong told him to leave the info out of the report, but that it was discussed and they both agreed it should be left out?
JLS says....
GPrestonian: Well I don't have a reference to the transcript but it seems to me he kept saying that is what the client wanted. People were a bit surprised that he kept calling Nifong a client, when a scientist should just be doing replicable tests.
Any chance Duke alumni can form a class and sue Nifong for damages or is this too much of a stretch?
12:45, That's rich- a class action Duke alumni lawsuit against Nifong and the City of Durham. Oh, count me in! That is very funny!
Just for the record, I think it was the lovely Mrs. Seligman who made the comments about the accuser's history of abuse at the hands of men. She probably knows more than we do about this, maybe from defense counsel. I am sure they have a very thorough history on the accuser. Or maybe it is a calculated, outstretched hand to the accuser, but I believe there is a clear link, in general, between sexual abuse and loony sexual activity (i.e., prostitution), and it would not surprise me to discover that is the case here.
Prof. Coleman would not have been as effective had he been of European descent because we know he is taking some personal risk not only with his academic peers but with the black population in talking about this case on national television. He really is the Enlightened Prince at Duke that President Brodhead was supposed to be. It would have been wonderful to have two such Princes, but one is sooo much better than none.
RP, maybe you are being a little obsessive, sort of a perfectionist even in your criticism of the show...anyway, I thought this was a good show, and I thought all of the guests were pretty courageous to consent to the interviews at all. The parents need the help NOW in exonerating their sons. I am not sure what would be gained--at least for the families--by waiting until the case is over to have the parents appear on the show.
As for Mr. Meehan, let's at least acknowledge he is telling the world about this exculpatory evidence problem. He is culpable, of course, but HE did not claim in court that all exculpatory evidence had been disclosed. I would imagine he is not used to being part of this kind of duplicitous behavior and is trying to regain some sense of honor in submitting to Ms. Stahl's strong questioning. We'll have to see how these answers line up with his testimony, but did we not learn on this site that people really want to tell the truth? Even if he has to change careers (and he probably will) at least he (and the rest of us) will know he stepped up to this interview, undoubtedly against the advice of counse.
Observer
I just went over to the 60 Minutes site, and the video isn't there at the moment. I wonder if they took down because, as someone upthread posted, the accuser's face was shown (it apparently was blurred out on the broadcast.)
Meeham and Nifong are now racing each other to plead out - you could not write this stuff. I am not so sure lawyer Antoun would advise him not to appear. Should he be charged with entering into a criminal conspiracy? I have emailed and written DOJ so often, Gonzalez and I are almost engaged. Did Nifong really think the ole boy NC network would not only save him, but aid and abett?
10:54,
I believe she was (or claims) to have been a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
Not uncommon in her line of work.
For an interesting look at the nexus between sexual abuse and drug abuse have a look here:
Heroin
We don't have a drug abuse problem in this country. We have a child abuse problem. Drug use is a symptom.
2:23am -- Meeham and Nifong are now racing each other to plead out - you could not write this stuff. I am not so sure lawyer Antoun would advise him not to appear.
Meehan's best out would probably be to say that he thought he was helping to ensure the conviction of guilty people--that he hadn't thought Nifong might be trying to frame innocents. That he hadn't followed the case and wasn't aware of what was going on until he was subpoenaed, and that once he found out what was really going on he sought immediatley to mitigate any damage he may have caused.
Going on 60 Minutes would be a further part of such mitigation, and I don't really see how it can hurt him. He's not going to stop things from coming to light, and any effort to do so would merely increase his culpability.
I am curious as to whether the ratings for this '60 Minutes' (and the other one) was higher than normal.
Rae Evans, a card carrying member of Upper Class America as Chairwoman of the LPGA, did herself, her son, and the other defendant families no favors by threatening Nifong publicly. It came off harsh and gave Nifong's supporters an opportunity to portray him as a little guy being threatened by a bigshot.
Mrs. Evans has every good reason to hate Nifong. But making threats in public is a tricky business, which may cause a backlash. That's why PR professionals always recommend a calm demeanor and conciliatory, gracious language as the most effective and winning public deportment. Save intense emotion for behind close doors among trusted associates. And if you intend to exact retribution from an enemy, keep silent in public, and let your actions do the talking for you.
The accuser appears to have consumed alcohol while taking Flexeril. The fact that she was prescribed Seroquel is essentially a non-issue from a 'passing out' standpoint as the the end result of Seroquel+alcohol=lethargy not unconsciousness (note: Seroquel alone has many side effects including lethargy).
It's not clear that she was taking Seroquel. What IS clear is that Seroquel is NOT a medication that is commonly used for treatment of bipolar disorder. It is used to treat and prevent the recurrance of psychotic episodes. These episodes can be simply drug related or reflect psychological predispositions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, etc.
I believe she has schizoaffective disorder bipolar mood type. People with that diagnosis are commonly labelled (and wish to be) 'bipolar' when they are stable enough not to need anti-psychotic medications, ie, 'just' ones to prevent mania.
Full Disclosure: I have Bipolar Disorder I. I also take my medication as prescribed and never miss a dose. At the same time I fully understand why someone with bipolar disorder or a 'schizo' disorder with a bipolar element would wish to discontinue medication: the 'high'. The 'high' (mania) that one can have (more extreme when contraindicated drugs are used such as amphetamines, etc) are, well, amazing. The lows, however, are horrible and it is why so many people turn to self medication: to get out of the 'low' point quickly or to mask how they feel in it. This is alcohol/drug abuse.
I take Lithobid (Lithium Carbonate) and Lamictal daily. I have found that Lithium is the most effective treatment for me but that Lamictal (epilepsy drug) allows me to feel more 'emotional' (this is lost to a degree when on medication). Most patients take either Lithium or one of several epilepsy drugs. The latter are quite expensive with Lamictal @ ~$10/day. Lithium is cheap.
OH: Seroquel is slightly less than $10/day. It is a medication that one does not want to be on but the side effect profile is not 'as bad' as Zyprexa. If I had to 'choose' I would pick Abilify for long term treatment of schizoaffective disorder (few negative side effects/sedating). The Lethargy and weight gain are a common reason people stop taking their medication (they do not feel like 'people', ie, they are either alone without voices/friends or lack emotions such as bipolar disorder at times).
Also bipolar disorder does not equal drug abuse/use. It is at least partly genetic and drug use is reported by some suffers just as it is in perfectly 'normal' people.
Drug abuse can cause mood swings to be more volatile but do not create bipolar disorder.
The above applies to another forum's poster.
People with bipolar disorder should receive some respect. I live a wonderful life and have not had a noticeable mood swing (from a bipolar viewpoint) in years.
People like CGM aka the accuser make 'us' look bad as she refuses to take medications because she likes the feeling of being off of medications that stabilize her moods/stop feelings of paranoia.
The N&O article may have been explained for us: If the accuser is paranoid (schizoaffective/phrenia) she would likely rant about such things.
If Coleman could stand up to this why couldn't a few hundred other duke profs do the same.
Let us remember that even before the three were indicited that the entire lacrosse team left weekend after weekend because they felt that their lives were in danger. Rumors of drive by shootings and the threat of the New Black Panthers and the unknown of what the pot bangers would lead to caused these players to fear for their lives. They knew from the very beginning that they did NOTHING wrong but soon realized that no one was listening. At that time we, as parents, thought there was a justice system as well. What a joke that turned out to be.
Revenge is sweet....going down....
Duke Lax Mom AND SO VERY PROUD OF IT!!!
Broadhead was a bumbling idiot . Like porkey pig who cannot get the words out. This is a university leader? Actually we have found that he is not a leader at all...
Can you say law suits (47 of them) Mr. Broadhead?
Didn't Meeham originally say he left part of the DNA evidence out to protect identities? On 60 no mention of the that, "just big error" I think that is important.
The civil judgments should be outstanding - wiping out Duke's endowment, bankrupting Durham , then NC , taxes rising in the state to cover the enormous losses. I could see the senators from NC going to DC begging for a bail out. IMO, the parents deserve every penny. Huge monetary losses are the only way that can deter future prosecutorial.
finish sentence
misconduct.
To 5:16
It would have been more correct for me to have said that Seroquel is often prescribed to patients with BPD. As you well know, few psych diagnoses have well defined borders and meds are aimed at controlling the worst symptoms, more often than not. And psychotic episodes are, for most people, the worst aspect of a far gone manic phase.
I do not mean to quibble with your post. But it is still true that a large percentage of patients wearing a label of BPD get a Seroquel prescription handed to them at some point, especially if they act out and scare people.
4:27
I TOTAL disagree. Rae did herself proud. It is time to take the gloves off. 10:27 Esq, MD is right. You DON"T mess with folks like the Evans. Nifong REALLY has no idea how much trouble he is in. Collin's dad, blue jeans was a bad choice on national TV, could probably BUY Durham and he has stated that he is NOT going to give it up.
Kemp
Duke Parent,
Signed the petition.
While Coleman was great, I can't help but feel let down by the rest of the faculty at the law school. Coleman is a criminal defense specialist, but where are the legions of civil rights professors who seem so concerned about the terrorists' rights at Guantanamo, but remain silent about rights violations in front of their noses?
"Rae Evans, a card carrying member of Upper Class America as Chairwoman of the LPGA, did herself, her son, and the other defendant families no favors by threatening Nifong publicly. It came off harsh and gave Nifong's supporters an opportunity to portray him as a little guy being threatened by a bigshot."
Couldnt agree more. While I'm no Nifong fan, that came across as a very agressive response thats really going to alienate alot of people based on class perceptions. Rich, privileged WASPS threatening others with what their money can buy. Bad decision.
Anon said, "The civil judgments should be outstanding - wiping out Duke's endowment, bankrupting Durham , then NC , taxes rising in the state to cover the enormous losses."
Don't forget the substantial punitive damages taken from Nifong personally, to the extent that he must become an exotic dancer himself just to pay the light bill.
I disagree 10:13. Mrs. Evans was not flaunting what her money can buy. Now that the Bar has gotten involved, Nifong's payment can take many forms - not just a monetary one.
To me, she came across as determined, convicted and restrained.
Messing with someone's child is the world's biggest mistake in most mother's eyes -
Jen
Hmmmm.
Frankly heads need to roll in North Carolina, and perhaps all over the country.
This business with Nifong, and of past misconduct by NC prosecutors, shows that there's both an extraordinary amount of corruption in the prosecutorial class in America *and* a serious lack of adequate safeguards.
Prior to the Duke case I would never have imagined that a runaway prosecutor could build a case out of cobwebs and fakery. But to have it last almost a year is even more beyond imagining. Considering what powers are available to prosecutors I had always thought that there would be sufficient peer-review or a board review system available to restrain or remove runaway prosecutors.
But it's clearly evident that no such system actually exists.
Oh sure such a system exists in theory, but in actual practice it does not. In part this is because there's a natural reluctance on the part of defense lawyers to criticize or confront prosecutors or judges. Regardless of the outcome for one particular client, the defense lawyer still has to show up the following workday and work with that same prosecutor or judge.
This is in part why it's become so difficult to remove bad judges. Because there are so few lawyers willing to go on record opposing that judge. If the judge is removed, then another judge, a friend perhaps, might hold it against that lawyer. Or if, worse yet, the failing judge is not removed, which is far more likely, then that judge could hold a grudge against that lawyer and all of his future clients forever.
And the same process holds for prosecutors.
This is why I've been pushing Volokh.com to deal with the issues surrounding the Duke Rape case. There is no better time than now to reform the system and introduce real penalties to runaway prosecutors or those that engage in misconduct. And reform is absolutely necessary as this case has shown so very clearly.
re: Terasita
Duke has a few billion in its endowment so it's not going to get wiped out.
re: 4:27 Kemp
I think that the casual look for Kevin was the right look. Probably wanted to come off as more of an average guy and he should be comfortable dressing as he normally does.
Brillant recap in raleigh news & observer detailing letters sent to Nifong from defense early on telling him he was making ethics violations. Deadly stuff for Nifong.
To 10:13
To 10:13
What is needed to seek justice from Duke, DPD, Nifong, et al., is not wealth. This case would be very attractive to a PI firm on a contingent fee basis. Rather, what is needed is the steely determination shown by all six parents last night. As a parent myself who can summon my own feelings if one of my children were being railroaded, I was very impressed with the restraint shown by those parents.
But, we should still remember that these are not likely the first defendants victimized by DA Nifong. Some law school needs to open a project to review and challenge would likely be numerous cases of "Nifonging."
11:13,
With regard to Rape Shield laws...I too, believe they should be dropped. They are propegating the erroneous belief that rape victims should feel "ashamed" themselves. The reality is that no one, man or woman, should EVER feel ashamed for being a victim of rape. By dropping these laws, women reclaim their power. And, as in this case, if that victim WAS NO victim, it protects the accused.
Sue
9:46 - Correct. They got the bull by the horns with the Evans family. I was surprised she said it, but then again, she's obviously really upset. It's her David we're talking about, and she's going to squash little Mikey Nifong like a charlie chump change cockroach.
Mikey should have done some research before trying to frame her son. He's playing with the big dogs now, and they are out for blood.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
Sorry to disappoint all you who think Mrs. Evans did well on 60 minutes. Her statements did not play well here in NC. Ruth Sheehan called her arrogant in her column Monday in the News and Observer and she had some unflattering things to say about the Lax team behavior. The talk radio shows here in the area were full of callers talking about her comment. Most people concluded that Mrs. Evans' thinks she is above the law and can buy anything she wants. "the wrong families" comment was not a great pr move at all.
I can see where people may view Mrs Evan's statements as harsh, but as a mother, I can see where she is coming from. I thought she was more that magnanimous towards CGM in her comments about her. I am not so sure her comments about picking the wrong "families" was meant to be about money or status but more about determination and the ability to stand together in a crisis.
4:57 - Ms. Evans' statement was not made to play well in North Carolina. They were made to play to a nation.
I suggest you stop thinking of this as a North Carolina case, because the issues go beyond local interests. When the dogs are unleashed, it will be in Federal Court. When the suit is filed, it will involve federal claims. The Judge will be a United States District Judge. Local politics and protections will be gone, and what will be left is Nifong and his friends before an unfriendly Federal judiciary.
-Esquire-
-Maryland-
The feds do not seem that interested in the case as they sent a letter to rep. Jones saying they are not pursuing the case at this time. As to civil suits, they must be filed in the jurisdiction they occured in; ie, you cannot file a civil suit in NY that pertains to Durham, NC. Civil suits againist Duke, Nifong, etc will be filed in Durham with Durham juries. Good luck on the mega verdicts you envision. Also, it is hard to have a lot of civil suits about libel and slander, etc if one is found to be guilty of a crime. Please keep that in mind.
Post a Comment